What stereotypes and tropes of “Asians” OR counter-narratives did you witness in the film you have chosen / each of the 2 films?

You have the choice of viewing 1 of the 2 films below, or both:
Crazy Rich Asians (2018; Approx. 2 hours, google the title to see online viewing options)
Gran Torino (2008; Approx. 2 hours, google the title to see online viewing options)
*You have to watch one of the 2 movies, if you don’t feel like you’re up to that, then please don’t take this assignment

*The questions listed below are more of a guideline for what you should be thinking about when watching one of the movies
What stereotypes and tropes of “Asians” OR counter-narratives did you witness in the film you have chosen / each of the 2 films? Be specific and detailed in your explanation of how the images you saw/what you heard in the film map onto these stereotypes and tropes. (Module 2)
How does the lens of “empire” yield certain representations of “Asian-ness” in the film you have chosen / each of the 2 films? (Module 1)
How does “intersectionality” help you to understand the experiences of the Asian communities depicted in the film(s)?
How did the depiction of relationships between “Asian” communities and other communities (white and other BIPOC) define “Asian-ness” in the film you have chosen/each of the 2 films?
How has the film you have chosen / each of the 2 films integrated or distanced Asians in the fabric of US society?

Gran Torino depicts the refugee Hmong community, squarely within US borders, while Crazy Rich Asians depicts the jet-setting, transnational “Asian” elite within and across US borders. Interestingly, these two films were released 10 years apart, and if you choose to watch both and compare them, you will gain some particularly interesting insights into the US imaginary of “Asian Americans.”

PROMPT:

How did the ways in which “Asians” were depicted in the film(s) have the potential to enable, perpetuate and/or challenge social injustice and inequality?

Let me know if you have any questions regarding the structure, but it’s pretty straightforward. Intro, thesis, body’s, conclusion.

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